7 days of Kindness
by Lovelyspinster
Summary: They wanted to do things differently this time around maybe this was the way to go. Post 4.09
1. Intro

She had lived. It had been touch and go for a while but she lived. And now there she was, in the loft she and Oliver shared recuperating. Reflecting.

She remembered the smallest details of that day. They were embedded in her mind. The attack on the volunteers. Her mother finding the ring. The holiday party. Her kidnapping. Their rescue. His proposal. Them riding in that limo, going home, away from the fear. She had felt so safe in his arms, so secure in his love. In that moment, there had been no regrets, no doubt, just him and her.

Then, she felt the car stop. She heard gunfire. She felt Oliver throw his body over hers. She felt his racing pulse.

Then, there was a searing pain in her stomach.

And then, there was nothing.

When she woke up a few days later, she was in the hospital. Pain resonating through her whole body, the artificial light was blinding and her throat hurt, but she felt safe and a renewed sense of self.

Oliver was asleep on a chair at her side. He held her hand in his, as if holding on for dear life. She wanted to tell him 'I am here. I am back', but she did not want to disturb his sleep. She could not imagine what it had been like for him.

She moved her hand, caressing his fingers with hers. "Oliver".

"Felicity! You are awake!" There were tears in his eyes. Relief in his voice. " I should call a doctor". He was about to stand up, when she waved as if to stop him.

"Just a minute. Look at me. I am okay. It's going to be okay".

"I cannot believe you are awake. You died Felicity. You died over and over again. There was nothing I could do."

"I am okay. I am fine… Wait? Where is my ring?"

"It's here, there was some swelling. They took it off." One hand on her cheek, looking in her eyes, he took the ring out of his pocket and slid it onto her finger.

"Thank you. I missed it. Is that weird? I mean I was unconscious, but I feel like I missed it, like I missed you. How long was asleep?"

"It has been three days. Felicity, I am just going to get the doctor, I will be right back."

Three days. It was hard to thing about that time. On one side, it felt like the accident had just happened. She could still feel Oliver's body thrown against hers as the bullets flew by. But she did not feel that fear that had gripped her, she felt a weird sense of calm. When she tried to think about what happened after she was hit. She could not see anything but there was a feeling. A feeling of peace. A sense of calm.

She remembered Oliver telling her how when he felt after his duel with Ras, he had seen the faces of those he loved. There had been no faces for her, but there had been memories. She had seen the mark she had left on the world as she was about to leave it.


	2. Chapter 1 - Monday

**Monday**

She had been home for two days already. The doctors had finally discharged her, which meant that she did not need constant supervision, but Oliver was not convinced. He had not left her side since she woke up in the hospital. She could tell he was going stir crazy but still he would not leave her. Not even to go to the arrow cave / arrow base. What were the calling it these days?

She loved him but she needed to think and his constant hovering would not let her.

"Oliver. I love you, but get out."

"What?"

Well as least, she had interrupted his pacing. "You know I love you, but you are making me crazy. Don't you have somewhere to be? Maybe you can go beat up Diggle. I am sure it will make you feel better."

"You want me to leave? Felicity, I don't think that is the best idea. I don't want to leave you alone. Not right now. It is not safe."

"Oliver. Darhk is nowhere to be seen. All seems quiet. Let use this reprieve and give us a break from each other. I need to sleep and your nervous energy is keeping me up."

"Well, if you are sure. I do need to check with the team on some leads. I will leave for an hour. You call me if anything even feels funny."

"I love you. Say Hi to everyone for me" She added as she pushed him to the door.

She loved Oliver but she needed to think. She needed some space to try and hold on to those feelings.

She had died. And as she died, there had been a moment of clarity. A moment of absolute truth, when she had looked at her life and seen its value.

Before, when she had reflected on her accomplishments, she would see her graduation from MIT, finding Oliver in the back of her mini, the day she had sticked Slade with that needle. Those were her accomplishments.

But in her death, she had not remembered these moments, she had remembered kindness. Everyday acts of kindness that she had extended to others, or received. She had seen their impact. She had felt their value.

Smiles, and thanks. Acts of generosity and compassion. It seemed so simple.

She did not know how to process this. What did it mean? But she knew she wanted to hold on to that truth, hold on to that clarity. That is why she had kicked Oliver out. She needed to figure out what it meant for her, before she could share it with him. She needed a plan.

Being who she was, Felicity turned to her beloved computer, and the depth of the interwebs. She did not know where to start, what to google. Kindness. That was the feeling that was foremost on her mind. Let's go with that.

After hours of research, she found a quote that seemed to resonate: _"Let your heart burn with loving kindness for all who make cross your path"_.

Well, that seemed both easy and incredibly hard, but it also seemed like a plan. She would start there. For seven days, she would try to let her heart burn with loving kindness.

The second part of that sentence seemed even harder. Upon reflection, she realised that while she now had closer friends that she had ever had (and the most perfect vigilante boyfriend), she had also distanced herself from most people. She did not seek out others, every day acquaintances, like she had in the past. She had always told herself that it was because she was busy but she knew she also felt the need to protect her secret, and the less people knew about her the less she would have to lie and hide from them.

But Oliver and her did say they wanted to do things differently, but they did not know how. Maybe that was how they could be different these times, but not shying away from others. She did not mean by coming out to the public about their secret identity or their relationship. Press conferences were not how you reached out to others, but by making the conscious effort to notice people around her, and to show them kindness. Loving Kindness. Now where to start.


End file.
